Miami will be without eight suspended players When Maryland plays Miami there’s an undeniable awe factor. As one of college football’s signature programs, located in a glamorous hotspot and in a state that worships football, “The U” is everything that Maryland is not.
This mindset might be the Terrapins’ best defense as they prepare to face the depleted Hurricanes on Monday night at Byrd Stadium. If there’s any team Maryland won’t underestimate, it’s Miami.
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The Hurricanes will be without eight suspended players, including seven starters. Quarterback Jacory Harris and wide receiver Travis Benjamin are among those sidelined.
| Up Next |
| Miami at Maryland |
| When » Monday, 8 p.m. |
| Where » Byrd Stadium, College Park |
| TV » ESPN |
| Radio » 980 AM |
But the Miami defense took an even bigger hit. Safety Ray-Ray Armstrong and Sean Spence, both all-ACC second-team choices last fall, are among those penalized for accepting improper benefits from a booster. In all, four of the players in the Hurricanes’ defensive front seven are out.
It’s a rough way for coach Al Golden to make his Miami debut. The former Temple coach has tried to minimize the impact.
“We’ve always had the philosophy that you bring your two-deep and you rotate,” Golden said. “There’s a lot of younger guys, a lot of guys that are getting an incredible opportunity. I know they’re going to make the most of it.”
But it’s also an opportunity for Maryland to expose an inexperienced team. Five of the players expected to open in the defensive front seven Monday night did not start a game last year for Miami. The four missing from the front seven, including tackle Marcus Forston, have started a combined 62 career games.
“I really couldn’t imagine that. I’m glad it hasn’t happened to us,” Maryland linebacker Kenny Tate said. “That’s definitely a tough thing, especially with the guys that they have up front. I remember playing with Marcus Forston in the [U.S. Army] All-American [Bowl]. He’s definitely one of the premiere D-tackles in the nation.”
Maryland quarterback Danny O’Brien rejects the notion that the team Miami will field on Monday will be substandard.
O’Brien was worked over by the Hurricanes last November in a 26-20 loss in the Orange Bowl. It was perhaps O’Brien’s roughest game of a stellar freshman campaign as he completed nine of 28 passes for 134 yards, was sacked twice and threw an interception.
“We’re not really focusing who’s going to play there, who’s not. It’s going to be the same scheme,” O’Brien said. “They’re going to be athletic. They’re going to be fast. They’re going to be aggressive. They have playmakers.”
Mobile sophomore Stephen Morris will play quarterback for Miami. In his starting debut last year against Maryland, he threw for 280 yards and completed the winning touchdown pass in the final minute.
His targets, however, won’t be as inviting. Leonard Hankerson, who caught the winning touchdown pass, is now with the Washington Redskins. Benjamin, who grabbed five passes for 127 yards last year against Maryland, will be replaced by sophomore Allen Hurns, who has yet to catch a college pass.
Still, the Terps respect even the least accomplished of the Canes.
“We have no overconfidence,” Tate said. “With them, we know a backup is just as important as a starter.”
